One dared not mope about looking bored, or horror of horrors mention being bored anywhere within sight or earshot of my mother. One would immediately be instructed to find something constructive to do - or mother would find it for you.
Constructive in her dictionary usually meant waxing and polishing the kitchen linoleum. If you had made the fatal mistake it paid to suddenly remember there was something you were meant to be doing in the workshop or sorting the scrap pile behind the smithy or staring at the pigs - something, anything, but the kitchen floor.
I don't recall my brother ever having to polish the linoleum. Maybe he had to clean the car.
It rained quite effectively for most of last Friday. The kids next door put on their rugby gear and went out and practiced sliding about on wet muddy grass for a couple of hours.
2 girls.
Oh the joy of having hot showers and a laundry to go back indoors to - even a shed to hang the dripping clothes in would help.
Like an old fuddy duddy I sat indoors and heard my mother's instruction for life. I put patches on a pair of shorts that are well beyond their best years. Handsewn. It takes longer. Fills time. Meditative.
Japanese culture makes an artwork out of visible mending. Mine is far from artful but it kept me amused for an hour.
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| Unfinished |
Knitting is more my forte.
Rain has swollen the stream to a raging beast so I decided to stroll out and look at where it runs into the sea. The sun came out. Instantly it was over 25 degrees (C). Combined with 98% humidity it became downright unpleasant - but the conditions were perfect for an enormous rainbow out over the other side of the Sound.
And I saw a kingfisher. More than just a flash. It flew ahead of me displaying its startling blue back and wings and alighted in a tree nearby turning around and around to show off all those beautiful glowing colours.
Of course I'd left my phone behind. You just have to imagine that one.
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteDuly imagined... something to be said for verbal discription and imagination! I like your patches kintsugi style. And yarn work just can't be beat for wet weather occupation of 'idle hands'! YAM xx
My mother was the same. I knew better than to ever, ever say the words, "I'm bored!"
ReplyDeleteI imagined it successfully! Beautiful, made my day! I don't think that I have ever been bored, I learned early on living in the middle of dirt that imagination was a dependable friend.
ReplyDeleteMending..then a walk, definitely a good use of time with the reward of a kingfisher!
ReplyDeleteI love those patches. Such careful stitching would be beyond the limits of my ability and patience!
ReplyDeletesince all my bad weather things to do consist of devices that need power/internet, the 7 days of no power I nearly lost my mind. I did yard clean up but could only last a couple of hours. sitting in the house with nothing to do but housework was horrid... and no AC and 90 degrees meant housework was a horror. you have things to do that fix things but are enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteYou should build a greenhouse or polytunnel especially so you can garden on rainy days.
ReplyDeleteThe mending is lovely - very artistic. If it's going to be on show, it might as well be decorative.
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